"
"Would you prefer, Madonna, that his Highness should come himself to
speak with you?"
"There is nothing I should prefer less. Already has necessity compelled
me to have more to say to Gian Maria than I could have wished." And with
a proud gesture she signified that the audience was at an end, and turned
to quit the wall.
She had a brief conference with Francesco, during which he consulted her
as to certain measures of defence to be taken, and made suggestions, to
all of which she agreed, her hopes rising fast to see that here, at
least, she had a man with knowledge of the work to which he had set his
hand. It lightened her heart and gave her a glad confidence to look on
that straight, martial figure, the hand so familiarly resting on the hilt
of the sword that seemed a part of him, and the eyes so calm; whilst when
he spoke of perils, they seemed to dwindle 'neath the disdain of them so
manifest in his tone.
With Fortemani at his heels he went about the execution of the measures
he had suggested, the bully following him now with the faithful wonder of
a dog for its master, realising that here, indeed, was a soldier of
fortune by comparison with whom the likes of himself were no better than
camp-followers. Confidence, too, did Ercole gather from that magnetism
of Francesco's unfaltering confidence; for he seemed to treat the matter
as a great jest, a comedy played for the Duke of Babbiano and at that
same Duke's expense. And just as Francesco's brisk tone breathed
confidence into Fortemani and Valentina, so, too, did it breathe it into
Fortemani's wretched followers.
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